Well I went to my long awaited Rheumy appt today and oh what a joy.
I spent 2 hrs driving, 30 minutes filling out forms that ensured they would get paid, 20 minutes in waiting room, 20 minutes in exam room waiting. 2 minutes with dr who looked at my hands, feet and elbow. told me I have tennis elbow and that i 'DONT LOOK LIKE I HAVE LUPUS', ordered blood tests and walked out of the room.
I went to the lab who spent 20 more minutes making sure they would get paid, refused to answer my questions as to what blood tests were ordered (though commented that they had to look them up because they weren't sure which tubes to use - this is a lab in a major hospital... what they hell tests did he order?) 20 minutes waiting for them to draw blood which took 2 mins and 2 hours home...

IM just sick. The Rheumy obviously didn't even look at the paperwork he had me fill out, didnt' ask questions about my past health... nothing... I gave him a copy of the positive ana test my regular dr took and he barely even glanced at it...

Waste of time... all they care about was getting money... obvious by the way they wait 2 month to get me in ... luckily I am feeling better than i did two months ago when the 1st tests were taken..

I went to my reg. dr with joint and muscle pain that was taking over my world. A inability to focus/ concentrate long enough to continue working. Trouble sleeping, exercising.. temp. flux w/o reason...
I didn't go in and say GEE I THINK I HAVE LUPUS. My dr took my history (he has been my dr for years) of gerd, ibs, rash on face that didn't respond to roseacea treatments, liver kidney complaints, history of kidney problems and a host of smaller complaints over years of a couple dr appts a year.

My reg dr. ordered blood tests that came back positive, and called me with an appt for a rhemy and suspicion of lupus.

This guy acted like I was trying to get him to give me the ALL COVETED SLE diagnosis.

I didn't ask for this. I wanted a solution to my ongoing medical problems....
I wanted help for my pain and depression...
I dont need to spend my money being treated like some hypocondriac.
he spent 2 mintues with me... 2 minutes.

he asked very few questions and interupted every answer I tried to give him with his own shorter answer.

He looked at joints on a 'good day'
he didn't look at my history
how can this man call himself a dr..
I don't care what my tests say, I'm not going back to this jerk!!!

And here I am two months later, in worse shape than ever because I can't even exercise anymore lately, still having joint and muscle pain, still no answers, about $2000 in the whole not counting today and certainly not counting 2 months of being unable to work.... and all I've got is more blood tests ...

Bless your heart!! I hope you find a BETTER dr SOON that fits YOU and one that lets YOU ask the questions and then he needs to take his time CAREFULLY to answer you. I hope you feel better SOON and remember we are all here for you to share with at anytime day or night. Feel free to drop me a line anytime you want and feel like it. Until next time TAKE CARE!!!!

The Following User Says Thank You to tinkerbell45 For This Useful Post:AgedFlowerChild (08-11-2011)

Honey ANYTIME thats what we are all here for is to help each other sometimes all it takes IS one kind word or sentence .I will ALWAYS be here for you to reach out to good or bad OK? I know what it feels to have physical pain also and the mental anguish but i honestly "AT THIS MOMENT" tell you which is worse cause they are BOTH unbearable. Please TAKE CARE we will talk soon.

Yikes! NOT the appt. you need and deserve! Did the forms you completed capture your medical history? If YES, it's at least possible that he'd read your comments before entering the exam room?

As hugely off-putting as he was, I hope the tests reveal something useful. Do you know when they'll be back? If he does manage to get you to a Dx, or at least closer, that would redeem him, in my book, anyway. I came to the conclusion that, as patients, we don't have to "like" a doctor to benefit from him/her. That's pathetic, I suppose, but it enabled me to keep trying...

I had awful appointments, too, so I'll share my "favorite" in hopes you'll get a good laugh. A local rheumatologist only paid attention to my husband, not me. Kept fluffing hair & tapping polished fingernails in hubby's direction, while smiling beamishly at hubby. Asked hubby *four* times where hubby plays golf. Hubby *doesn't* play golf, so to query #3, hubby responded brightly, "Asked and answered!" By then, I couldn't look at hubby, fearing he was verging on hysterical laughter, which I'd have joined. (Once we were asked to leave a furniture store... we'd started laughing & couldn't stop.)

Now for the kicker: that rheumatologist is MALE, which made his apparently flirtacious behavior toward my hubby godawful funny to me. The medical part of that appt. was brief: assured me I couldn't have lupus (could tell by looking at me---sound familiar?), and suggested I see a dermatologist for my recurring rashes (despite my having told him I'd seen SEVEN already).

So, what are the odds the rheumie you saw & the one I saw attended the same school? The Alice-in-Wonderland Med School, maybe? Seriously, I came to believe that many drs. don't understand lupus & its close cousins, so they turn our problems right back on us, with a big serving of SNARK. Just like you said, as though we WANT that "coveted" diagnosis. (Forgive me, but I laughed when I read that line... because it's awful & I knew how you felt.)

I'm awfully sorry it went down this way. But know you aren't alone: you've got us in your corner, and with any luck, our company will somehow help you to keep at it. That's really why I post here: I remember what it felt like to hit that diagnostic brick wall. There ARE good diagnosticians out there; we just have to find them. So we'll just keep you company until you do! Sending huge hugs to you, always, Vee

Hi VeeJ....
Thanks for sharing that story... it really made me laugh! I needed that this morning.

I guess I will just see what the test say when I get the results and go from there.
I am feeling better than I was a month ago... at least I think I am...

Maybe i was offended by the dr because I am overreactiing to these symptoms... honestly VeeJ, I dont' know anymore. Am I sick? am i making more of it that I should... is concentrating on it so much making it worse than it really is???

I dont know anymore.

Time to quit thinking about it and wait for the tests...

thanks so much and I will be sure to let you know what the test results are. I filled out paperwork ensuring they would be sent to me immediately!! whooho!

Hey its Tinkerbell45 checking to see how you are doing today? I am good to go so far except having the memories of missing my mom and dad. One time i was talking to my grief counseler and she said i was "orphanded" WAY TOO SOON and to be SO YOUNG without a parent. Well needless to say i didnt go back to her anymore she made me feel worse than when i went. I just wanted to reach out to you to let you know i am thinking about you and HAPPY that I DO have memories of my father that my siblings were to greedy to let their own lives get in the way to spend anytime with him until he slipped away. Until next time TAKE CARE!!!

AgedFlowerChild, I bet many of us have wondrered, Are we REALLY sick? That's the nature of human nature, particularly for conditions that flare and recede. Also, we're women!

You could keep a heath diary, quick notes when symptoms start & stop. Who knows, maybe some new thought will form that's worth mentioning to your doctors. (Stupid as it sounds, I didn't see sun as a probable trigger for my problems for years, probably because I'd been in it all my life.) I hope you get your results soon & can enjoy some laughs in the meantime. Hugs, Vee

P.S. True confession: I had nasty names for almost all my drs. In those first few seconds when THEY were frowning at me & probably thinking nasty thoughts, I was definitely thinking nasty thoughts. The rheumie I described was "Dr. Popinjay" (expurgated version).

Goodness, how I can relate. I had a similar experience with my rheumatologist. Except she told me my problems were 'emotional' and 'mechanical'. She asked me nothing about my 'emotional' background (the only thing I'm emotional about is feeling crap and having no answers). I got sent to a physio who said I have nothing mechanically wrong..! So like you, I have no answers from the one who's meant to help the most!

I wish you luck, and I hope you find someone who'll take you seriously.

The following user gives a hug of support to paperbgprinces:tinkerbell45 (08-14-2011)

Sorry to hear that... I find it odd that these drs are like that. Do they think we want to have lupus? As for having emotional problems, I wonder how they would feel if they spent the summer hurting and trying to find out, draining their savings account on drs instead of going on vacation AGAIN THIS SUMMER, only to be charged $1000 to be told that your imagining it all. UGH!!
I hope you get a decent dr and some decent medical care ... best of luck!!!

Exactly, I told my GP that there were at least 100 places I'd rather be than sitting a doctors office having to try and prove that I'm not well. That's is so rude that you go that sort of service and you still have to pay for it! Thanks, you too, I really hope you find a doctor who will take you seriously and you can feel better soon! Can I ask how old you are? I'm 21 and I think that might be partly why I'm not being taken seriously.

Well lets just say that I have children older than you so apparently it isn't just age. The Drs act as if we WANT them to dianose us with sle... Mine wouldn'tgive me a second to explain that this wasn't my idea, it was my Primary Drs idea... the man who has provided ALL my medical care for years! The man that knows that I am usually active and outgoing and healthy most days!
You would think the dx comes with A NEEEWWWWW CARRRR or free trip to hawaii or something...
I want to feel better.... the can treat me for damned dr seuss disease if they want to ... just so I live through it and FEEL BETTER and have a reasonable explaination as to why I'm sick!!!! ! ugh!!!

Well lets just say that I have children older than you so apparently it isn't just age. The Drs act as if we WANT them to dianose us with sle... Mine wouldn'tgive me a second to explain that this wasn't my idea, it was my Primary Drs idea... the man who has provided ALL my medical care for years! The man that knows that I am usually active and outgoing and healthy most days!
You would think the dx comes with A NEEEWWWWW CARRRR or free trip to hawaii or something...
I want to feel better.... the can treat me for damned dr seuss disease if they want to ... just so I live through it and FEEL BETTER and have a reasonable explaination as to why I'm sick!!!! ! ugh!!!